Steven Vanloffeld, the Founder and CEO of eSupply Canada, detailed his motivation and the foundational goals behind establishing an Indigenous-owned distributor of business and industrial supplies in his recent interview with the Indigenous-SME Business Magazine. Drawing from his firsthand experiences as an elected councillor for the Saugeen First Nation, Steven witnessed significant financial resources flowing out to non-Indigenous entities, which sparked his resolve to create economic opportunities within Indigenous communities. eSupply Canada, under Steven’s leadership, not only facilitates easier access to e-commerce for First Nations but also significantly contributes to economic self-sufficiency by enabling communities to retain and reinvest a substantial portion of their earnings. Steven emphasizes the profound social and economic benefits of sourcing from Indigenous suppliers, which not only supports operational needs but also catalyzes sustainable community growth and development. Through eSupply Canada’s innovative platform, First Nations can launch digital storefronts swiftly, ensuring a direct channel for economic development and support for educational and social programs through the reinvestment of profits.
Steven Vanloffeld is the Founder and CEO of eSupply Canada, a national e-commerce distributor of business and industrial supplies. His work centres on empowering Indigenous peoples and communities while promoting understanding and reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and Canadians. Prior to embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, Steven served as an Elected Councillor for his community, and also helped to transform Indigenous child welfare in Ontario as Executive Director of the Association of Native Child and Family Service Agencies of Ontario.
As the founder of eSupply Canada, what inspired you to start an Indigenous-owned distributor of business and industrial supplies? How do you see your business supporting other Indigenous entrepreneurs?
Before I started eSupply Canada, I was an elected councillor for my community, Saugeen First Nation. In that role, I saw millions of dollars being drained and going towards big box retailers, simply because we didn’t have enough Indigenous-owned businesses to source supplies or services from. This sparked a realization that in order for economic reconciliation to advance, urgent change was needed.
Combining my passion for community empowerment and fostering self-sufficiency, I founded eSupply Canada as a dropshipping and procurement solution specifically tailored for First Nations. We’re supporting them by making e-commerce simpler, as it often comes with numerous obstacles that delay the process of starting their online presence and generating revenue. First Nations’ local governments leverage our platform to quickly set up their digital storefront and launch their supplies business right away.
You advocate for businesses to procure from Indigenous suppliers. Can you elaborate on the economic and social benefits that such procurement practices bring to Indigenous communities and the Canadian economy at large?
Businesses need supplies in order to operate. Sourcing them from Indigenous suppliers not only fulfills those operational needs, but they’re also taking the necessary steps towards creating sustainable economic opportunities for First Nations.
Every dollar that is spent on First Nations businesses creates a multiplier effect that fosters accelerated growth for their local economy. As Indigenous businesses continue to grow, they actively invest back into their communities through the creation and maintenance of jobs, skills development, and other local programming.
The investment also generates further spending within their First Nation and beyond, promoting self-sufficiency and increasing their participation in Canada’s economy.
eSupply Canada is only one example, in which First Nations that use our platform would net back 10% of the profits from each transaction. For a $907,000 supply order, $90,700 would return to their community which can be put towards job creation as well as local infrastructure or social development programs.
Additionally, we donate a portion of each sale to the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, which supports Indigenous students pursuing post-secondary education in the fields of business, economics, law, and the trades.
For Indigenous leaders, embracing social impact and giving back is woven into the fabric of our ethos, ensuring the prosperity of our communities for generations to come.
The recent report from eSupply Canada indicates that First Nations communities spend a significant amount annually on materials and supplies. What are some of the key findings of this report and how eSupply Canada plans to address these spending habits?
eSupply Canada recently released a report that found First Nations in Canada could add as much as $1 billion to their collective economy if they prioritized ‘buying Indigenous,’ meaning they’re sourcing materials and supplies from their own communities or other Indigenous suppliers.
Our platform empowers First Nations governments and their local entrepreneurs to become those suppliers, expanding Indigenous participation in the economy and their sources of additional revenue. As mentioned previously, funding can be put towards initiatives for the overall betterment of First Nations, including programs for job creation, education, welfare, and entrepreneurship incubation.
How can government procurement policies be improved to better support Indigenous businesses like eSupply Canada? What changes would you like to see to foster more inclusive procurement practices?
The federal government has mandated a five per cent Indigenous procurement target for its departments and agencies, and it is a good step in the right direction. However, an expanded, collaborative approach is needed to further accelerate the impact of supporting Indigenous businesses. We encourage all levels of government (provincial and municipal) and private businesses to establish their own mandated targets for partnering with Indigenous suppliers.
Public procurement demands significant time, effort, and investment from the supplier/entrepreneur. Senior officials in public departments and agencies can support this process by setting clear objectives, offering internal training and communication on Indigenous procurement, incentivizing staff to achieve these goals, and transparently reporting on the progress of meeting those targets.
Could you explain how eSupply Canada’s new revenue generation platform works and its expected impact on minimizing revenue leakage for First Nations communities? What success stories can you share since its launch?
The revenue generation platform, or their branded portals powered by eSupply Canada, functions as a dropship, e-commerce storefront that allows communities to earn revenue through the sale of product to community members, governments, or anyone who simply wants to support the community.
Independently starting a dropshipping business is a significant undertaking that comes with a set of challenges. From finding the right inventory supplier, website builder, and customer support, it is a demanding endeavour.
With eSupply Canada, not only can they delegate inventory management, they also have access to over 1 million products for their inventory as well as end-to-end customer support so they don’t have to hold products in their spaces or directly address a customer concern.
